BellaOnline Forums Travel and Culture Native American Reel Injun on PBS Independent Lens

This aired on our PBS station this week. Learned quite a bit of Native Americans in Hollywood. I checked the PBS website, but it's not being aired there yet. They do have a schedule link to check your local station for dates and times.

It's definitely worth a watch. I was certainly surprised to learn an actor, whom many would say epitomizes a Native American was actually a Sicilian imigrant.

Very interesting! So - who is this actor? Not Lou Diamond Phillips, is it? He is one of my favorite actors.

He was in hundreds of movies and married a Native American. For most people, around my age, he is most widely known for a TV commerical about pollution. The final shot was of a tear coming down his cheek. I seem to remember it winning some type of award.

A few Pow-wows ago, a friend came by to visit. He's a Muskogee Creek Elder and he asked me a personal question. "How did you know 'who' you were?" The question referred to how I knew of my Mother's heritage, despite being raised "white." The answer shot from my mouth with no thought. "I've always known, since a young child." I grew up with this actor's face and that TV commercial as part of the puzzle, I didn't even realize I was working on.

Once I began my journey of learning, I found so many things that were taught to be inaccurate or completely wrong. I am still as a child, but the list of fallacies I've uncovered is already a long one. However, I can't put this man's name on that list.

It's not my place to judge. I don't know if it was in his heart (or came to be), or the path taken by a poor immigrant to provide for his family and himself. I don't know if he eventually had a Tribal affiliation of some type. There are many examples of non-Natives being adopted by Tribes.

What I do know is this TV Commercial, this actor, whether Native or not, inspired me to keep searching for what was missing for me. It struck a familiar chord in my heart, before I knew the song was being composed. Having realized this, the lyrics in one of Robbie Robertson's songs are made even more personal.

"God gave us each a song. That's how we know who we are. Everyone has a song."

I wonder how many kids this commercial, this actor inspired in some way. Whether it was to learn more about Native Americans, join the Scouts, stop littering, start recycling. I'm sure for some in the Native community, having a Sicilian portraying a Native in such an acclaimed commercial was yet another slap in the face. However, I choose to consider the positive aspects of how this short piece has endured and how many it may have inspired to do "something" positive. That may be an equally long list which includes my name.

Beautiful thoughts, beautifully written, lcp. You have the gift of painting vivid images and emotions with words.

I cannot remember which spiritual leader said this: "One does not have to be Indian by blood alone. Sometimes they are Indian in their heart." This is very true for me. I am European American by blood, but Native American in my heart. During a training study I am taking, the mentor did a comparison of Native and non-Native peoples and in each category he listed I fit into the traditional or bi-cultural group of Native Americans. I found this to be quite awesome and rewarding.

Will Rogers said:
"I have Indian Blood in me. I have just enough white blood for you to question my honesty."

but this quote is closer to the thought:
"There is no such thing as 'part-Cherokee.' Either you're Cherokee or you're not. It isn't the quantity of Cherokee blood in your veins that is important, but the quality of it ... your pride in it. I have seen full-bloods who have virtually no idea of the great legacy entrusted to their care. Yet, I have seen people with as little as 1/500th blood quantum who inspire the spirits of their ancestors because they make being Cherokee a proud part of a their everyday life."
- Jim Pell: Principal Chief of the North Alabama Cherokee Tribe

Thank you, Beetle.

I am Cherokee, but one of those with the spirit stretched out into the 5th generation of blood mixture.

Ya know - I believe my spirit has always known what is in my heart. When I visit the Bighorn Medicine Wheel next year, I will take some prayer ties with me.